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Rejoice The Hunger Games franchise fans in Singapore! Shaw Online has just announced that ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ will be released in IMAX format this November!

This is great news considering parts of ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ are specially shot in IMAX. Be prepared to feat your eyes in IMAX format this coming November. Currently, we are unsure if IMAX release will be the same as normal release which is scheduled to be on 21 November 2013 in Singapore. Shaw Online has confirmed with us as of now, both IMAX and normal release will be on 21 November 2013.

If you had answered “Yes!” to both questions, then here’s your opportunity to show off your Catching Fire artwork to the world and stand a chance to get your artwork to be featured on official The Hunger Games movie Facebook page!

You can incorporate photos, drawings, GIFs & video to create an eye-popping multimedia experience inspired by the words of the book in Chapter 1 of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and submit it here.

Lionsgate has already done so on the brand new ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ poster which you can check out here.

It’s your turn now. What are you waiting for? Time to get your creativity juice flowing! Unfortunately, this contest is only open to U.S. residents who are 13 years and over.

Nonetheless, if you haven’t read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins yet, you can purchase it at any major bookstores in Singapore. Or if you are strapped for cash, feel free to visit any of the regional or public library branches in Singapore. It would be advisable to check the availability of the item first on NLB Catalogue to avoid disappointment.

We would advise you to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins first before continuing on sequel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins for better grasp on the story for there are additional characters and plots not introduced in The Hunger Games movie.

The Hunger Games DVD and Blu-Ray are now available. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is tentatively scheduled for release on 22 November 2013 in Singapore.

Have you heard the news yet? We are around 499 days away from “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” release in USA and after lots of waiting, we have our first casting announcement with Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee! Lionsgate’s press release for Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee also includes “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” synopsis but that’s not all.

Following the announcement of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, Lionsgate has also revealed “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” casting app which you can visit at www.CatchingFireCasting.com where you can see in a glance what roles are left to be filled for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”.

As this app is managed by Lionsgate, regardless of whatever rumours you have heard along the way, if the actor/actress is not listed in www.CatchingFireCasting.com, chances are the rumour is nothing but a rumour and it’s not confirmed.

This isn’t the first time Lionsgate has done something like this. Last year, during the casting for “The Hunger Games” movie, Lionsgate launched the “Who Are The Tributes?” app and a set of Tributes was revealed each time after sometime.

It is expected it will be the same this time round, dragging out each announcement for casting. We have around 499 days to go after all.

The first is an unnamed portrait of a male beside Lenny Kravitz as Cinna.

The second is an unnamed portrait of a female on the left of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.

*MAJOR SPOILER FOR LAST BOOK OF “THE HUNGER GAMES” TRILOGY*

Some speculates the female character could be either victor of the 70th Hunger Games, Annie Cresta, or President of District 13, President Alma Coin, as “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” can allow us to have a glimpse at what is going on beyond Katniss’s perspective too.

Down With The Capitol guessed the unnamed male character could be “Plutarch’s spot once he leaves the top banner.”

What do you think?

‘The Hunger Games’, rated PG13, was released on 22 March 2012 and is now available in all cinemas islandwide. ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is scheduled for release on 22 November 2013 in USA.

We had previously reported the first set of tracking records indicate “The Hunger Games” could open bigger than “Twilight” in USA box office sales.

New set of tracking record is in and Lionsgate marketing is evidently working for The Hollywood Reporter reports experts are now predicting “The Hunger Games” could possibly open bigger than “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1” US $138.1 million debut back in November 2012.

This is certainly great news for do keep in mind when “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1” was released, it had already established its fanbase which is unlike “The Hunger Games” where it’s the first movie of what could be the launch of a new franchise.

Hunger Games, which opens March 23, is even tracking better than The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. That film opened in November to US$138.1 million, the fifth-best debut of all time domestically, but had the advantage of bowing the weekend before Thanksgiving, when some kids are out of school.

Box-office observers say it’s difficult to predict exactly how much Hunger Games will make, offering a more conservative estimate of US$100 million to US$120 million. They say it’s difficult to predict a number when tracking becomes this big and a film gets into the US$100 million-plus range.
Hunger Games certainly has a shot at taking the crown for best March opening from Alice in Wonderland, which debuted to US$116.1 million in 2010.

…

Tracking data released Monday showed definite interest in Hunger Games jumping from 55 percent to 60 percent in the past week, awareness went from 75 percent to 83 percent, unaided awareness from 14 percent to 21 percent and awareness from 75 percent to 83 percent.
“Numbers don’t get much higher than this,” said one rival studio executive. “Hunger Games is tracking like a sequel, even though it isn’t a sequel. It’s three times higher than the first Twilight.”

Interest among younger women in Hunger Games is now at 45 percent, compared with 36 percent for Breaking Dawn. Among female over the age of 25, interest is 29 percent, versus 27 percent for Breaking Dawn.

One advantage that Hunger Games has over Summit Entertainment’s blockbuster Twilight franchise is male interest.

Monday’s tracking showed that Interest in Hunger Games among males younger than 25 was a healthy 28 percent, compared to 10 percent for Breaking Dawn. Interest among males over 25 was 20 percent, versus 8 percent for the fourth Twilight film.

We know there are adult fans of “The Hunger Games” franchise out there. If you are above 18 years old and have the extra money to spend on fine dining while watching “The Hunger Games” movie, you might want to consider this “The Hunger Games” dining package in Cathay Platinum Movie Suite.

Package Includes:
• The Hunger Games Platinum Movie Suites ticket
• 3-course western dinner paired with a glass of wine at the Platinum Movie Suites
• Limited edition The Hunger Games poster, notebook and pen set

Terms & Conditions:
• Please present your Priority card at the Platinum Movie Suites Box Office to enjoy the offer.
• All packages are valid on a first-come-first-served basis.
• Each guest is entitled to one serving of wine. Age limit applies.
• Film rating is to be advised.
• All information stipulated is correct at time of print and may be subject to change.
• The Management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions of this privilege without prior notice.

* Enjoy the Early Bird Discount when you book your tickets before 21 March 2012. Limited packages available. This promotion is not applicable with Priority Member discount, and other discounts, promotions or redemptions. This promotion is valid only for walk-in purchases at the Platinum Movie Suites Box Office. This promotion is not valid for corporate or group bookings of more than 6 tickets.

In addition to Cathay Cineplexes previous contest to win tickets to “The Hunger Games” local gala premiere, they have launched a new contest for you to win “The Hunger Games” local gala premiere tickets!

To win, simply follow the instructions below:Step 1: Visit any Cathay Cineplexes & look for The Hunger Games movie posters.Step 2: Snap the QR codes featured on the movie posters.Step 3:Watch The Hunger Games trailer & answer a simple question on our Facebook page.

Terms & conditions apply.

Terms & conditions:• This promotion is valid from 12 Mar to 16 Mar 2012.• All entries must be submitted (via our Facebook page) by 16 Mar 2012.• Incomplete entries will be disqualified & judges’ decision is final. Only winners will be notified.
• Gala preview will be held at The Cathay, 21 Mar, 6:45pm (Details to be advised when nearer to the date).• All employees & family members of Cathay Cineplexes Pte Ltd and Cathay Organisation Holdings are not allowed to participate in this promotion.

• Prize is not exchangeable for cash in part or full or other items.

• The Management reserves the right to alter the terms of this promotion or withdraw any of the prizes featured without prior notice.

• By participating in this draw, all participants are deemed to have given their consent to receive promotional and marketing materials from Cathay Cineplexes Pte Ltd.

According to an exclusive from Deadline, first set of tracking numbers for “The Hunger Games” has arrived and they are looking great! “The Hunger Games” movie is predicted to possibly open to US$70+ million in box office sales which is bigger than “Twilight” debut weekend box office sales of US$69.6 million back in 2008.

“The Hunger Games” movie first set of tracking numbers:

With 23% ‘First Choice’ and 54% ’Definite Interest’, those are numbers every film studio can only dream about. One studied provided me with a guesstimate that the first film based on the Suzanne Collins bestselling books could open to $70+M — which would make this bigger than the the Twilight debut. “It’s every bit as strong As Twilight and, numerically, stronger,” one rival studio told me this morning. Seasonality may play a factor because The Hunger Games is opening in March, not summer. “But the numbers, while they definitely skew to young females, look strong across all quadrants.” Said another studio: “It’s a great start.”

What exactly are tracking numbers?

The Daily Beast has a great explanation on this commonly used tactic in Hollywood to survey public interest for a movie.

The audience studies are called “tracking” reports, and they have become the crystal ball for movie marketing. Three times a week, a Los Angeles organization called the National Research Group (some studios use L.A.’s rival research firm, MarketCast) telephones about 400 random Americans, asking them not only what movies they are aware of, but also which they intend to pay to see. The data is sorted demographically into six different age brackets (the youngest is 12-16 and the oldest 45-59, as the senior set apparently doesn’t count), with additional categories for gender and race. Every new movie in wide release pops up on the surveys three weeks before its debut. In the final days before the movie opens, NRG estimates its first weekend’s box office. Each studio spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year paying for the surveys, scrutinizing the votes the way the Gore team did Florida ballots.

The numbers are invaluable because they reveal who is interested in a movie and, more important, who isn’t. That data then determines how advertising money should be spent, and whether new commercials should be deployed.

Based on these first set of tracking numbers, things are certainly looking good for “The Hunger Games”! We can only hope public interest and awareness for “The Hunger Games” movie will continue to grow as we are only 20 days from release of “The Hunger Games” movie in Singapore and 21 days away in USA!

I’ve just had the opportunity to see the finished film of The Hunger Games. I’m really happy with how it turned out. I feel like the book and the film are individual yet complementary pieces that enhance one another. The film opens up the world beyond Katniss’ point of view, allowing the audience access to the happenings of places like the Hunger Games control room and President Snow’s rose garden, thereby adding a new dimension to the story.

Director Gary Ross has created an adaptation that is faithful in both narrative and theme, but he’s also brought a rich and powerful vision of Panem, its brutality and excesses, to the film as well. His world building’s fantastic, whether it be the Seam or the Capitol. It’s amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.

And, my God, the actors. The cast, led by the extraordinary Jennifer Lawrence, is absolutely wonderful across the board. It’s such a pleasure to see how they’ve embodied the characters and brought them to life.

So I’d like to sincerely thank all the many people who devoted their time and talents to the film, especially producers Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik, and the excellent teams at Color Force, Larger Than Life, and Lionsgate.

Other than The Hunger Games showing this year, there are many other blockbusters that will be showed this year. In the Feburary issue of the Lifestyle magazine, they did a preview of the movies that is coming up.

Image of page.

Close up on The Hunger Games part!

Just in case the image does not load, the words are typed out below:

Based on the trilogy of novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games revolves around a dystopian society, in which teenagers and children are chosen to fight in a televised battle. The books have a massive, largely young adult following that rivals that of Twilight, and is poised to be the next hit franchise. Brooding romance it is not, but after glittering vampires and shirtless werewolves, a teenage tale of war and survival could be a welcome change of taste.

I don’t think that the Lifestyle magazine is sold outside, but if your parents are members of NTUC, your parents should have it! 🙂